West of the Bishnumati

Most of Kathmandu west of the Bishnumati River was settled relatively recently, with much of the development focused on the ugly Kalimati–Kalanki corridor and the suburbs either side. The only real antiquities are the famous Swayambhu stupa and a few shrines and temples that can be visited en route, plus the exhibits preserved in the National Museum. All of these sights are within fairly easy walking distance of central Kathmandu or Thamel, but to make a circuit of all of them it’s more pleasant to hire a bike or taxi for the day (taxis wait at Swayambhu, but are hard to find near the museum).